Ice refrigerator



Feb. 21, 1939. T. L. MCCLELLAN 2,148,081

ICE REFRIGERATOR Filed Oct. 16, 1957 3 Shets-Sheet 1 All.

MI I! Inventor 7.15))!" ZZaZ/an M Attorneys Feb. 21, 1939.

T, L. MCCLELLAN ICE REFRIGERATOR Filed Oct 16, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Afiorneg/s Feb. 21, 1939. T McCLELLAN ICE REFRIGERATOR Filed Oct. 16, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 i fivlil lrwenfor Aiiorneys 4 casing 5'that has in the upper portion thereof,

Patented Feb. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to ice refrigerators or ice boxes, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ice box embodying such a combination and arrangement of ice and food compartments as to insure a uniform low temperature in the refrigerator. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide in a refrigerator a novel arrangement of ice chambers, and novel means for supporting blocks of ice in said chambers.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an ice box or refrigerator a special cold compartment for food storage, the temperature of which will be substantially below that of the other food compartments, together with means for securing this temperature difference without sacrificing a normal low temperature in the food compartments.

The invention, together with its objects and advantages, will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a'front elevational view of the ice box or refrigerator with the doors thereof in open position.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the refrigerator and illustrating certain details hereinafter more fully referred to.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view through the refrigerator.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the ice compartments or chambers of the refrigerator.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a rod with certain parts shown in section.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a wall or bailie assembly.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an insulated ice .box or refrigerator and accessible from the front of the refrigerator casing or ice box, ice chambers or compartments 6 and 1.

The compartments 6 and 1 have walls'8 and 9 at the ends thereof spaced from the end or side walls 10 of the box 5, as shown in Figure 2, and a partition wall II is common to the compartments 6 and 1.

The bottom of the ice compartment 1 is in the form of a corrugated plate l2 which at its corners is notched as at l3 and at two opposite edges is serrated or notched as at l4 to. permit cold air-to pass downwardly from the compartment 1 into a lower special cold compartment provided immediately under the compartment 1 and having a bottom wall 22.

Provided within the aforementioned special cold compartment 15 is a chamber 36, the walls of which are spaced from the walls of the cold compartment l5 as best. shown in Figure 3 and access to this compartment 36 is had through the medium of a hinged door 31. The compartment 36 is adapted to receive a pan or tray 38 in which foodstuffs to be frozen may be placed.

The wall 9 common to the compartments 1 and I5 at the upper edge thereof is spaced downwardly from the top wall of the box 5 so as to permit air to enter the compartment 1 at the top thereof.

Compartments 6 and 1 are closed by a suitably hinged door 16, while for the front of the compartment I5 there is provided a vertically swinging hinged door 11.

In the lower portion of the box or casing 5 there are provided food compartments 1', l9, and 20, compartments l8 and I9 being arranged one above the other and in alignment with the compartments 1 and I5, while the larger compartment 2!! is located below the ice compartment 6.

Common to the compartments 6 and is an inclined wall 2] that forms a top wall for the compartment 20. Wall 2| extends from the front to the rear of the box 5 and has an upturned. side edge 2|, that is spaced from the side III of the box 5 so as to permit air to pass up from the compartment 20 to flow over the top of the wall 2| and below the ice in compartment 6 for a purpose hereinafter more fully made manifest.

Extending inwardly from the wall 9 at an incline and below the bottom ll of compartment 36 is a wall extension or tray 22 which at its lower edge overlies the lower portion of the wall 2| so that drip water from the compartments 1 and 15 will be directed onto the wall 2| which at its lower edge is provided with a gutter 23 in which the drip water from the compartments 6, I, and I5 collects to subsequently drain from the box through a vertical drain pipe 24 disposed against the rear wall of the ice box or cabinet 5.

One side of the gutter 23 is formed by the upper edge of a relatively short vertical partition wall 25 that separates the compartment l8 from the compartment 20 and which at its lower edge terminates materially upwardly from the bottom 26 of the box or cabinet 5.

Separating the compartments l8 and 19 are bailles 21, 28, baflle 21 extending inwardly from the wall ID of box 5 and baflle 28 extending inwardly from the lower edge ofthe aforementioned partition wall 25 and spaced downwardly from the baflle wall 21, as clearly shown in Fig ure 2.

For the compartment l8 there is provided a horizontally swinging hinge door 29, and depending from the forward edge of the baiiie wall 21 to terminate at its lower edge coplanar with the baffle wall 28 is a short transverse wall 30 which forms with the baflle walls 21,28 an air passage through which cold air passes from the compartment II to the compartment ll.

As shown in Figure 2, there is provided in the lower portion of the ice chamber or compartment I an ice rack composed of a plurality of laterally spaced rods 8|, in the present instance 3 rods, with one middle rod in centered position. that are spaced apart a distance suflicient to permit, as the ice melts, the formation of fins F between and extending below the level of the rods.

In this connection it will be noted that the bottom of the compartment is open and the walls II and l at said bottom are provided with inwardly directed inclined formations I! which tend to cause the melting ice to seal together below the level of the rods. which latter extend from front to rear.

Further, the rods II provide a means for easily sliding in a new cake of ice above the dissipated piece and also serve to keep the ice cake centered and level within the chamber.

Also extending transversely of the chamber 6 below the rods II and at right angles to the rods Ii are tubular rods :1 which at one end may be fabricated into substantially rectangular form seat 84 and as clearly shown in Figure 5. The rectangular portions 84 of the rods fit conformably within the compartment It. The rods 33 are made of any. suitable high heat conducting material such as copperand if desired there maybesealedwithintherodsaliquidorgas having a high heat conductivity, or as an alternate a pump may be suitably connected to the rods a to provide for a forced circulation of a cooling agent through the rods, in which connection of course it will be understood that rods 88 would be suitably connected together so as to form with the pump a closed circuit for the cooling agent.

It might be here stated, however, that rods 33 may be solid and under such conditions should be preferably "finned", as solid finned rods will prove efficient in effecting a heat transfer.

Itwillthusbeseenthattherods It actto provide a cooling medium for the chamber It by taking up the heat and transmitting it to the portions of the rods constantly being cooled by the ice cake C. This cooling or heat exchange action supplemented by the cooling effect of the ice cake C resting on the corrugated wall or tray member I! together with the arrangement for the flow of air above and below the compartment It (as hereinafter more fully explained) results in obtaining a temperature in the compartment 30 three to five degrees lower than that provided in the food compartment II, It, or ll, and as far as known, a temperature below that ever before obtained in a food compartment of a conventional refrigerator. Thus, compartment 3' will be found desirable for the storage of such foodstuffs as are desired to be kept at the lowest temperature possible; the portions of the rods 33 extending into and being confined within the enclosed compartment 38 effecting a greater degree of cooling in said chamber by restricting the area cooled.

From the above it will be seen that in actual practice cold air from the compartments 8, I, and II will pass downwardly through the compartment It, passing from the compartment it into the compartment II, and from the compartment ll into the compartment 20, rising in the compartment II to flow over the baflle or wall member 2| below the ice in-compartment t and returning to the compartment ll. Air will flow from compartment ll back to compartment I through the space between walls 8 and it. The air from the compartment I flows about the ice cake C' downwardly through the notches at the corners and ends of the tray or wall member I! to flow about the compartment 38 and within the chamber l5, passing from the chamber II through the space between the lower edge 01 the wall II and the lower edge of the inclined baiiie 22.

In this connection it will be noted that air passing upwardly from the compartment 20 to the area above the baille or wall 2| passes between the bailie or wall 2| and the ice cake C and is substantially restricted to the extending fins F of ice in this area. In this connection it will be appreciated that the area of ice exposed to the air stream is, maintained substantially constant, and consequently a uniform degree of temperature in the refrigerator is obtained.

It will be further appreciated that the air flow around the compartment 38 is substantially in a separate cycle from that through the other compartments of the refrigerator and passes through only a relatively small portion of the'total food compartment area. This together with the fact that the air exiting from ice chamber or compartment I is continuously being replaced by cold air from ice chamber 8 results in the area immediately surrounding the cold compartment 18 being substantially in a constant cycle of low temperature air stream.

The lower portion of the box 5 is closed through the medium of a horizontally swinging hinge door it. 7

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility and advantages of an ice box or refrigerator combining the. features of the present invention will be had without a more detailed description.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a refrigerator of the character described, a casing having a pair of compartments in the upper portion thereof to receive cakes of ice, one of said compartments being open at the bottom thereof and provided slightly upwardly from said bottom with an ice cake supporting rack, and the other of said compartments having a horizontal partition arranged therein and spaced upwardly from the bottom of said other compartment to provide for the supporting of an ice cake in the second-named compartment and also forming with the bottom of the second-named compartment a special compartment, said partition having openings therein to permit the passage of cold air into said special compartment.

2. In a refrigerator of the character described, a casing having a pair of compartments in the upper portion thereof to receive cakes of ice, one of said compartments being open at the bottom thereof and provided slightly upwardly from said bottom with an ice cake supporting rack, and the other of said compartments having a horizontal partition arranged therein and spaced upwardly from the bottom of said other compartment to provide for the supporting of an ice cake in the second-named compartment and also forming with the bottom of the second-named compartment a special compartment, said partition having openings therein to permit the passage of cold air into said special compartment, and a perpendicular wall for the second compartment extending vertically upwardly from the bottom of said compartment and in spaced relation to an adjacent side of said casing and terminating at its upper edge at a point downwardly from the top of said casing to provide an air intake opening for the second compartment at the top of the latter.

3. In a refrigerator of the character described, a casing having a pair of compartments in the upper portion thereof to receive cakes of ice, one of said compartments being open at the bottom thereof and provided slightly upwardly from said bottom with an ice cake supporting rack, and the other of said compartments having a horizontal partition arranged therein and spaced upwardly from the bottom of said other compartment to provide for the supporting of an ice cake in the second-named compartment and also forming with the bottom of the second-named compart ment a special compartment, said partition having openings therein to permit the passage of cold air into said special compartment, a perpendicular wall for the second compartment extending vertically upwardly from the bottom of said compartment in spaced relation to an adjacent side of said casing and terminating at its upper edge at a point downwardly from the top of said casing to provide an air intake opening for the second compartment at the top of the latter, and a plurality of spaced rods mounted in the first-mentioned compartment below said ice rack, said rods at one end thereof being fabricated into rectangular portions fitting conformably within saidspecial compartment.

,4. In a refrigerator of the character described, a casing having a pair of compartments in the upper portion thereof to receive cakes of ice, one

of said compartments being open at the bottom thereof and provided slightly upwardly from said bottom with an ice cake supporting rack, and the other of said compartments having a horizontal partition'arranged therein and spaced upwardly from the. bottom of said other compartment to provide for the supporting of an ice cake in the second-named compartment and also forming with the bottom of the second-named compartment a special cold compartment, said partition having openings therein to permit the passage of cold air into said "cold compartment, a perpendicular wall for the second compartment extending vertically upwardly from the bottom of said compartment in spaced relation to an adjacent side of said casing and terminating at its upper edge at a point downwardly from the top of said casing to provide an air intake opening for the secondcompartment at the top of the latter, a plurality of spaced rods mounted in the first-mentioned compartment below said ice rack, said rods at one end thereof being fabricated into rectangular portions fitting conformably within said special cold compartment, a vertical partition in the lower portion of said casing, said vertical partition terminating at its upper edge downwardly from the bottom of the aforementioned "cold compartment and its lower edge terminating upwardly-a material distance from the bottom of said casing, and an inclined baiile wall extending from the front to the rear of said casing below the first-mentionedice compartment, said wall forming baiiie being inclined and having one side edge thereof spaced from a. side wallof said casing and a second side edge thereof connected with said vertical'partition and being provided with a drain trough, and a drain pipe extending downwardly from said trough through the bottom of said casing.

5. In a refrigerator of the character described, a casing, a pair of ice compartments in the upper portion of said casing, one of said ice compart- 5 ments being provided with a horizontal partition providing in the lower portion of said one ice compartment a third compartment, and a heat exchange device consisting of a plurality of rods having one end portion thereof arrangedin the 10 other of said ice compartments for contact with ice arranged therein, with the other end of said rods extending into said third compartment.

6. In a refrigerator of the character described,- a casing, a pair of ice compartments in the upper 15 portioneof said casing, one of said ice compartments being provided with a horizontal partition providing in the lower portion of said one ice compartment a cold compartment, a heat exchange device consisting of a plurality of rods 20 having one end portion thereof arranged in the other of said ice compartments for contact with ice arranged therein, with the other end of said rods extending into said cold compartment, and an arrangement of wall forming baflies in the 25 lower portion of the refrigerator casing so angularly related to provide for a tortuous passage of cold air through the refrigerator casing and from one compartment to the other.

7. In a refrigerator of the class described, a

casing, a pair of ice compartments in the upper portion of said casing, one of said ice compartments being provided with a horizontal partition having openings therein, a second horizontal partition having an opening therein at the lower 86 end of said one ice compartment, the two partitions forming between them a third compartment, a conduit extending from the space below the second partition to the top of said one ice compartment, a plurality of rods having one end 40 portion thereof arranged in the other of said ice compartments for contacting with ice arranged therein with the other ends of said rods extending into the third compartment, an arrangement of wall forming baflics at the lower portion of the refrigerator casing so angularly related to provide for a tortuous passage of air through the refrigerator casing and from one compartment to the other, some of said baffles receiving the drip from the ice in the ice compartments and 50 a conduit for conveying the drip water from the refrigerator casing.

8. In a refrigerator of the class described, a casing, a pair of ice compartments in the upper portion of said casing, one of said chambers being open at its bottom, a horizontal partition extending across said one ice compartment intermediate the ends thereof and having openings therein for passage of air and water from the upper portion of said one compartment to the lower portion thereof, a chamber forming member in that part of the said one ice compartment between the bottom thereof and the horizontal partition for receiving articles, said chamber forming member being closed from the space formed by the horimember.

'I'HOMAS L. McCI-EILAN. 

